More was learned on the players-only meeting that veteran safety Brian Dawkins called Tuesday morning. The Broncos are 6-4 with those four losses coming in their last four games. They play the New York Giants, who are also 6-4 after just snapping their own four-game losing streak, Thanksgiving night at Invesco Field at Mile High

“”Dawk started it off and guys who had something on their heart, they got up and said something whether it’s you’re a captain or practice squad player, whatever the case may be,” said Broncos running back Correll Buckhalter.

Buckhalter added there would be the occasional player-only meeting during his years in Philadelphia.

“”It helped us a lot,” he said. “”I think it’s going to help us tomorrow night.’’

Buckhalter and Champ Bailey both referred to the players “getting on the same page,” as a talking point in the meeting.

Bailey probably summed up the meeting the best: “”I was pretty encouraged to talk to some of my teammates, but what’s going to encourage me more is if we play better. It’s not really what people say.’’

The short week may have cost Broncos RT Ryan Harris a fourth game. Out since dislocating his big right toe Nov. 1 against Baltimore, Harris may well have returned this week had there been a normal week of practice.

Instead, with the Broncos having just two walk-through sessions prior to their game Thanksgiving night against the New York giants, Harris’ return is set for Dec. 6 at Kansas City.

“”He will not play this week,” said Broncos coach Josh McDaniels. “”He’s doing better. He’s getting close. He’s worked extremely hard to get back on the field but I don’t think we need to keep that a secret, anymore.’’

Broncos safety Brian Dawkins, however, will play despite a neck injury that forced him to sit out the second half of the game Sunday against the San Diego Chargers. Dawkins was listed as “probable” on the Broncos’ injury report.

No. 3 tailback LaMont Jordan is out a second week with a back injury, but then the Giants won’t have 1B back Ahmad Bradshaw, who is listed as “out” with a foot injury.

Broncos right tackle Ryan Harris (toe), safety Brian Dawkins (neck) and quarterback Kyle Orton (ankle) were in uniform and on the field for the Broncos workout Tuesday.

Harris, who had not practiced since suffering his injury against the Ravens in Baltimore, has missed the team’s last three games. Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said there was a chance Harris could play against the Giants.

Harris said he did not want to talk about his return.

Orton said he will be ready start and Dawkins said his “plan” was to be on the field. Both players have been receiving treatment all week.

Last week, all mystery was on whether Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton could play despite a severely sprained left ankle. This week, there should be just as much attention paid to the leader of the other side of the ball _ safety Brian Dawkins.

He has a neck injury. I’d be surprised if Dawkins plays on Thanksgiving night. It’s one thing to put an ankle in harm’s way. It’s another to put a man’s neck on the line.

Just like Orton’s injury was ill-timed given the stakes involved with the opponent, the San Diego Chargers, Dawkins’ setback occurs as the Broncos are about to take on 265-pound tailback Brandon Jacobs and arguably the league’s best 1B back in Ahmad Bradshaw.

Broncos safety Brian Dawkins is one of the players selected to participate in a new initiative from the NFL to see where players stand on certain issues confronting the league. Dawkins, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner are among those who will participate in the first round of meetings.

The league has selected former Colts coach Tony Dungy to coordinate the Player Advisory Forum. Dungy will select the players to attend meetings in various cities around the league to receive input, comments and criticism about various league matters, including the NFL’s player conduct policy and player safety issues.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to attend the meetings as well.

The Redskins also tried to acquire quarterback Jay Cutler from the Broncos, offering their own quarterback Jason Campbell in a package that included two first-round draft picks. Instead, the Broncos traded Cutler to the Bears for Kyle Orton and two first-round draft picks.

New (old?) cornerback Ty Law was on the field in uniform at practice for the Broncos Saturday afternoon, the team’s final session in preparation for Monday’s game against Pittsburgh.

Law will wear jersey No. 26 — the number vacated when the team released Jack Williams Saturday morning. Law long wore No. 24, with the Patriots and the Jets, but that number is obviously taken here in Denver (by Champ Bailey).

On Saturday, Law wore a sleeve on wrist with the plays and defensive calls on it (like the sleeves quarterbacks sometimes wear). McDaniels said the terminology shouldn’t be too different for Law from what he remembers from when he played in New England earlier this decade.

“I think when you’ve played the game as long and as well as Ty has played it, hopefully you have the opportunity to get comfortable quicker than he would if it were a younger player who had relatively no experience in the national football league,” coach Josh McDaniels said.

Law is 35 years old, but he’s not the oldest player in Denver’s secondary. That would be 36-year-old Brian Dawkins. Fellow corners Champ Bailey and Andre Goodman are both 31, and safety Renaldo Hill is 30. The Broncos now have five players older than their 33-year-old head coach: Dawkins, center Casey Wiegmann (36), punter Mitch Berger (37) and defensive end Vonnie Holliday (33, will turn 34 in December).

Law is now the team’s heaviest cornerback, at 5-11, 200 pounds. Bailey, Goodman and rookie Alphonso Smith are all under 200 pounds.

For two guys known as much for their nasty hits, tough play and ferocious on-field personalities, it was quite the love-fest on Wednesday when Broncos safety Brian Dawkins and Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis were asked about each other.

Dawkins, 36, and Lewis, 34, have overlapped on five Pro Bowl teams in their careers.

“I think we’re two of the same people. Every time we see each other, we smile at each other and hug each other. We just respect each other,” Lewis said. “You look at Brian Dawkins and man, to me, I think he’s one of the greatest men I’ve ever met. I respect the guy with so much respect it’s unbelievable.”

Both Lewis and Dawkins continue to be among the best defensive players on their teams. Lewis leads the Ravens with 53 total takcles, including 41 solo stops. Dawkins has 38 total tackles (third-best on the Broncos) and has recovered two fumbles.

“Love him. I love the energy he brings, I love theleadership he provides,” Dawkins said. “We talk quite a bit, and it’s always a mutual respect for one another. I think because of the way we approach the game.”

Said Broncos coach Josh McDaniels: “I think the emotion and enthusiasm and energy that they both play with effect their teams positively every single time they’re on the field. They find a way to make big plays every game, and that’s a unique thing to great players, that they can impact the game every week, even though everyone on the other side of the ball is trying to stop them from making a great play, they still find a way to do it.”

Safety Brian Dawkins, who missed two days of practice with a sore shoulder and knee, is active for Sunday’s game against New England, as are left guard Ben Hamilton and nickel corner Alphonso Smith, who missed last week’s game against Dallas with injuries.

Running back Correll Buckhalter (left ankle) and safety Brian Dawkins were held out of Wednesday’s practice for the Broncos.

Buckhalter was injured with just over six minutes remaining in third quarter of Sunday’s win over the Cowboys and did not return to the game. Buckhalter is not expected to play Sunday against the Patriots.

It was not yet known what Dawkins’ issue was, but he will have to be listed on the team’s injury report to the league later in the day because he did not participate in the workout.

Linebacker Spencer Larsen (shoulder) continues to be held out of practice.

Le Kevin Smith, a 5-technique defensive end who the Broncos acquired from New England late in training camp, was back at practice Wednesday. He was wearing the orange “don’t hit me” jersey and a sleeve on his injured left knee. He left the practice field, however, shortly after the team stretch.

Smith suffered the injury in his only preseason game against Seattle on Aug. 22.

Second-year safety Josh Barrett also practiced for the first time since suffering a shoulder injury in the third preseason game against Chicago.

Not out for the start of practice were defensive backs Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins, who between them have 15 Pro Bowls. Both were spotted in the locker room, with no apparent issues, during the open locker room period.

Graham and Bailey are the only returning captains. Woodyard, a second-year player, is likely the special teams’ captain, although McDaniels would not designate by position.

Notably absent was starting inside linebacker D.J. Williams, who was the Broncos’ defensive captain the previous two years. Oh, and what was not considered the biggest upset since Joe Namath and the Jets won Super Bowl III, Brandon Marshall wasn’t named a captain, either.

Wednesday should be a day Haggan will always remember: He received a two-year, $3.5 million extension, plus was named co-captain, plus worked with the first-team defensive unit. Not bad for a guy who never started a game in his first six seasons.

For the first time this season, the Denver media was permitted inside the Broncos’ locker room.

No complaints here. Chris Simms, Brian Dawkins, Tony Scheffler, Knowshon Moreno, Andre Goodman and standbyes Brandon Stokley, Daniel Graham and Peyton Hillis were available for comment. (So were the kickers Matt Prater and Brett Kern, but once you get past, “How’s the leg?” what is there to ask a kicker?)

Brandon Marshall and Champ Bailey passed through. Kyle Orton wasn’t afraid to hang out at his locker with the media present, although his interview session is set for Wednesday.

Speaking of which, the fact Orton is the quarterback who will step up to the podium Wednesday means the Broncos are sending the message they expect him to start the regular-season opener Sunday at Cincinnati.

The fact so many key players were available means one of two things _ One, it’s early and the players will eventually learn to rearrange their schedule so they’re not around when us media types drop in; or two, this has a chance to be a good locker room.

It wasn’t a good hang-out day for Graham and Tyler Polumbus, though. The ex-Buffs were embarrassed by their alma mater’s performance Sunday against CSU. It wasn’t so much losing to CSU as the Rams dominated the Buffs upfront.

It begs the question: How could Dan Hawkins recruit a blocker like Ryan Clady to Boise State but he can’t recruit any Ryan Cladys to CU?

The Broncos have (finally) released their official list of cuts to get the roster down to 53 players on the active roster.

Because the Broncos also added DE Vonnie Holliday, the team had to make an extra cut to get to the 53-man limit. The team also will have to make another roster move by Sunday to clear a spot on the active roster for Brandon Marshall, whose suspension is set to end Sept. 6.

The Broncos are about 30 minutes into their first practice in preparation for the third preseason game, otherwise known as Cutler Bowl.

The team ended training camp late last week, before leaving for Seattle, and are treating practices now like they will in the regular season. That means all but the first half an hour or so are closed to the media.

But in that 30 minutes we were able to take roll. Brandon Marshall is there, as is receiver Brandon Llloyd, who returned after more than a week out. Safety Brian Dawkins is back in his normal blue jersey (replacing the orange non-contact jersey he wore last week).

The absent players are: QB Chris Simms (ankle), kicker Matt Prater (who also missed at least one practice last week but played against Seattle), RB Knowshon Moreno (knee), RB LaMont Jordan (played against Seattle, unknown if he’s hurt or just resting), CB Tony Carter (ankle) DL Marcus Thomas (shoulder) and OL Stanley Bryant. Bryant is the likely roster casualty from this morning’s trade to acquire OL Russ Hochstein from the Patriots. Bryant did not play well against the Seahawks.

Example: Rookie Darcel McBath is formally listed as Brian Dawkins’ backup at free safety, but it is actually David Bruton who has practiced there in place of the injured Dawkins in recent days.

Example: Rookie running back Knowshon Moreno is listed fourth among running backs, but if he were really fourth he would not have taken reps with the first-team offense in his first day of training camp practice after an eight-day delay to get his contract done.

Example: Kory Lichtensteiger is listed as the backup center, but it was guard Ben Hamilton who moved over to center on the days starting center Casey Wiegmann was not on the field. Rookie Seth Olsen then played in Hamilton’s left guard spot.

So, it is a depth chart and it is a reference tool. It just may not be what the Broncos actually do on gameday.

It has now been a full week since last time we saw Brandon Marshall on the practice field. The Broncos No. 1 wide receiver last practiced Aug. 2, and left that session early.

He’s only been spotted walking to and from the weight room since.

At this point, no one (in the media at least) is expecting to see him back anytime soon. Certainly not on the field for practice this week, and not for the preseason opener Friday at San Francisco.

And with no official comment from coach Josh McDaniels about the severity of Marshall’s injury/rehab from hip surgery, we only speculate about when Marshall will be healthy enough to return and how effective he will be when he does. Remember, Marshall didn’t participate in any minicamp practices and he went through only two full practices and one walk through since reporting to training camp July 27.

The team returned to the practice field at 2:30 p.m. Sunday after getting Saturday off. The break seems to have paid off, as the only players not in uniform were Marshall, safety Brian Dawkins, who had hand surgery last week, and LB Wesley Woodyard, who has been limping on an off through camp with a nagging knee injury.

Rookie defensive end Rulon Davis returned to practice after missing a few days after taking a helmet to the knee. Also back and participating in full is defensive lineman Nic Clemons.

On the scale of disgruntled quarterback or unhappy receiver, it probably won’t register much in the Broncos locker room.

But just a couple weeks into training camp and the team motto is pretty close to … “it’s always something.”

The latest, beyond a fractured hand for safety Brian Dawkins is an item in the Las Vegas Sun that Broncos running back LaMont Jordan was sued this week by the Mirage Casino in Las Vegas to recover $20,000 in gambling debts.

The suit, filed Thursday, charges Jordan incurred the debt June 26 and 27, or roughly two weeks after the Broncos finished their last minicamp of the offseason.

And in a preseason where the Broncos have tried so hard to limit the things they believe are distractions, they’ve still had a few on the list.

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.